So off we go again after the Christmas break, back, refreshed and raring to get stuck into some great music whilst ignoring all the hype – no hipster house here thank you. When we read this new micro genre term we didn’t lower ourselves to investigate further but our theory is it’s house music designed for people who are too cool to dance or just haven’t got any co-ordination but to be honest we hope never to find out.
This week started with a song for our bank induced, crisis ridden times with Jeb Loy Nichols covering Pablo Gad’s classic, ‘Hard Times’ to amazing effect and it bodes well for Jeb’s new album. Doctor L, the uncompromising and diverse French producer is also coming through with a new album on Comet and we’re particularly liking the street poetry meets deep jazz beats of ‘Vocal Kidnaping’ featuring the Unknown Poets. Some classic fusion then followed from The Headhunters who are being re-issued by R2 records in 2012. The label is also embarking on a series of other classic album reissues with a killer program lined up – watch this space!
Classic sounding, new music with a Charles Stepney vibe then followed from Quantic & Alice Russell backed up by the Combo Barbaro with an amazing slice of soul which again bodes more than well for the new album release in April. The Echocentrics ably followed with their interpretation of Timbaland’s ‘We Need A Resolution’ from a really nice little EP of Timbaland covers done in a live soulful style. Medline then kept the soul vibes flowing on a blaxploitation tip with his excellent, soon to be released ‘Soldier Of Love’ track – look out for all sorts of releases from him this year. Fresh new talent from Brighton then followed in the shape of the promising J. Biscuits from Brighton who has just put out a lovely little album of eastern tinged beats for free download from his bandcamp page, surely a producer to watch.
John Phonics then kept the beats flowing with a collaboration with Peter Cannon given a Pedestrian remix, from the inaugural release on Prism records another promising label start up. Robert Glasper’s new album is sounding great with all sorts of interesting collaborations and the first single from it, ‘Ah Yeah’ featuring Musiq Soulchild & Chrisette Michele is no exception. Julien Dyne then provided a taster of his new album on BBE which is due anytime now and will no doubt help cement this young New Zealand talent’s reputation. Toulouse Low Trax aka Detlef Weinrich from Kreidler then provided some deep dub tribal, slo mo house vibes from his forthcoming album due on Karaoke Kalk in February, another winning album.
Downliners Sekt then showed why they are some of our favourite leftfield dubsters of recent times as they take some average shoegaze and turn it into a deep hypnotic dub roller, nice. Stan Smith is one of out new hip hop discoveries and this New York MC is about to drop his debut album aided by some bruk style production from Daz-I-Kue and it’s sounding like a modern day hip-house winner start to finish. Jonti has gone and released some of his early material for free after the success of his material on Stonesthrow last year and there are some real nuggets on there, seek it out! Russian 8-bit don Pixelord is another one steadily building his rep and, amongst others, from his new EP we’re particularly liking the Groundislava remix of ‘Imaginery Friends’. Minamo, a Japanese quartet then provided the abstract live vibes that nicely finished the show from their new album on Room40.
Tracklist
Jeb Loy Nichols – Hard Times (Decca promo)
Doctor L – Vocal Kidnaping feat. Unknown Poets (Comet promo)
The Headhunters – Mugic (R2 promo)
Quantic & Alice Russell feat Combo Barbaro – Look Around The Corner (Tru-Thoughts promo)
The Echocentrics – We Need A Resolution, instrumental (Ubiquity)
Medline – Soldier of Love (Propaground promo)
J Biscuits – Spiced Rum (Free Download)
Jon Phonics x Peter Cannon – Romes, Pedestrian remix (Prism promo)
Robert Glasper – Ah Yeah feat Musiq Soulchild & Chrisette Michele (Blue Note promo)
Julien Dyne – Thirts (BBE promo)
Tolouse Low Trax – Jeidem Fall (Karaoke Kalk promo)
Cubenx – These Days, Downliners Sekt rmx (Infine promo)
Stan Smith – Get Up Gospel (Tokyo Dawn promo)
Jonti – Flesh Of Morning (Stonesthrow Freeload)
Pixelord – Imaginary Friends, Groundislava rmx (Hit and Hope promo)
Minamo – Bound Letters (Room 40)
